Warriors I: Finding a Path of Destiny
by Grayfrost
Summary: Graypaw doen't feel at home in Dustclan. What she doesn't know is that DustClan isn't her home. She must find her path to where it all began and forfill the prophecy blessed apon her. 1ST CHAPTER UP!
1. Prologue Allegiances

_**Disclaimer: This story is based off of the teen series called **_**Warriors **_**written by the amazing Erin Hunter who I am giving claim too**_

Prologue

"_Pounce, we have to dump them somewhere. You know we won't be able to take care of them." A tabby she-cat scowled. Two tiny kits dangled from her mouth, with barely enough fur to see there beautiful ripples of pale gray fur. One of them coughed as it inhaled some of the rain that soaked the earth around them. _

_Another tabby, by the name of Pounce, answered, "But Whiskers, they will die out here. It's cold, wet, and dark. No kit deserves a death like that, no matter who their parents were." Her eyes seemed more soft and caring then those of Whiskers'._

_"Well what else are we going to do? Raise them? Pah! You know more than I do, that these kits would be better off without us then with. Our destiny is not the same as theirs." Whiskers watched closely to see what Pounce's retort would be, but as expected sighed. Clearly she had gotten the point across; these kits would have to be abandoned for the greater good._

_The two she-cats walked in silence through the vast forest, uncomfortably getting soaked from head to toe as the rain poured heavily, even through the canopy of tree tops. This had been the most terrible storm that had past through the region of the 3 clans since centuries ago. Trees were being uprooted, all around them and there was not a safe place to rest._

_"Which way? I can't see anything!"_

_"I can smell the river up ahead. We have to continue. We can leave the kits by the Eagle's Eye Canyon. I'm sure a DustClan cat will find them, since you're so worried about their lives."_

_Pounce gave Whiskers a weird look, knowing that she cared just as much about the kittens as she, herself, did. "Okay, but we have to hurry! BlazeClan will be onto us in moments, even in this horrid storm."_

_They soon approached the small river, and jumped across over the stepping stones. In a hurried motion they leaped down the rocks of the Eagle's Eye Canyon and set down the two kits on a platform that led to a dark cave. Whiskers and Pounce each took a kit, and warmed them up with their tongues. Picking them up by the scruff, the two kits were placed into the dry cave. "Bye, young ones. I know you will find your destiny ahead of you." Surprisingly this was Whiskers who spoke with a single tear dripping from her eye._

_"Come on now, we don't have much time!"_

Allegiances

**DustClan**

**Leader**

Whitestar- dark brown tabby she-cat with white paws, brown eyes

**Deputy**

Firemask- brown tabby tom with orange splotch on face, with bright emerald eyes

Apprentice: Graypaw

**Medicine Cat**

Icecloud- Very light tan coloured she-cat with yellow eyes and half of a tail

Apprentice: Thistlechaser

**Warriors**

Hawkfoot- senior light brown tom with light green eyes.

Volestep- small brown she-cat with light brown eyes

Rockfur- large dark brown tom with black splotches and yellow eyes

Apprentice: Falconpaw

Shadewing- dusty brown she-cat with extremely sharp claws and yellow eyes

Apprentice: Fernpaw

Lionfang- handsome, light ginger tom with solid green eyes

Poppyheart- dark orange tabby she-cat with green eyes

Bushwing- brown tabby tom with yellow eyes

Stonepelt- large dark brown tom with broad shoulders, sharp claws and yellow eyes. He is the brother to Fernpaw and the youngest warrior

**Apprentices**

Graypaw- Pale gray she-cat with darker ripples of blue/gray through her short yet thick fur. Her eyes are a beautiful icy blue.

Fernpaw- beautiful ginger tabby she-cat with emerald green eyes. Her paws are a cute white, along with the tip of her tail. Oldest apprentice

Falconpaw- light brown tom with darker brown specks all over his coat and yellow eyes.

**Elders**

Silenttail- once beautiful tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes.

Yellowfur- tan, almost yellow tom with green eyes.

Oneeye- oldest cat of DustClan, dark brown tabby she-cat with a battle scar covering one of her eyes.

**Queens**

Lilywind- ginger she-cat with pale green eyes

Kits: Hollykit, Thornkit, Redkit, Moonkit

Specklepelt- tan she-cat with darker brown specks and yellow eyes

Kit: Eaglekit

Hailstorm- young dark brown she-cat with green eyes

**Other Clans Coming Soon**


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Come on Graypaw get up! You're going to miss the hunting patrol!"

"I'm coming, Fernpaw, I'm coming," Graypaw mewed. She slowly arose and stretched out her body, flexing her claws and made a big yawn, showing her nasty fangs that were almost full size.

"Okay, well Firemask won't be happy with you! You promised you wouldn't be late this time!" Fernpaw replied, worried about her best friend. Graypaw sighed, but then hurriedly followed Fernpaw out of the cave. She dashed right up to Firemask and sat down obediently as he gave her a stern look.

"Uhh... I'm sorry Firemask, I really did go to sleep early last night, it's not my fault I couldn't get up." Graypaw trembled slightly, kind of worried what Firemask would think. She of course didn't actually fall asleep early, she was to busy trying to practice her poor hunting technique.

"Well, to be a warrior, you must be more responsible. When Fernpaw becomes a Falconpaw becomes a warrior before you, I think you'll finally learn your lesson." Firemask lectures.

"But I'm older than Falconpaw by a full moon! That's not fair"

"Well, than I guess it's time you work harder. No hunting patrol for you, we'll go to Murky Pond and try to perfect those fishing skills of yours." He padded off through one of the rocky tunnels, while Graypaw sighed heavily and followed closely behind. She looked back as she saw Fernpaw going out on the hunting patrol with the warriors, wishing she was so close to becoming a warrior.

"Try not to splash so much! You're scaring all the fish away!" Firemask mewed, annoyed. "Be more graceful with your paws, and strike the water lighter. Like this," after moments pause of looking for a fish, he took a swift swipe at the water and his paw came out with a plump fish hanging off his claws.

Graypaw beamed at the beauty of his catch. "Wow! How do you do it so nicely?" but her impressed eyes softened, "I will never be able to do that… Why can't we just go hunt eagles and hawks? It's so much easier."

Firemask laughed, "No one can catch a bird of prey like you. Not even me, but you need to know how to catch all kinds of prey, even fish. Now try again." This time Graypaw used the same watchful eyes as her mentor to spot the best fish. In a quick flash she shot her paw in swiftly and out again. It was quite beautiful, but no fish dangled from her unsheathed claws.

"For StarClan's sake, WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?" she scowled at herself, tail flashing angrily. She didn't understand why even Falconpaw had mastered fishing, while couldn't even catch a single one.

"Oh, don't be so hard on yourself, Graypaw. I saw great improvement that time. All you need to do is get your timing right and you'll do fine." He smiled encouragingly. "Now, let's not over do it today. You ended with a good swipe, and I think you can go back to camp and take a break. Just first catch a hawk or something for yourself. You did well today."

Graypaw was happy to leave the stupid Murky Pond. She hated it there; the whole pond was full of sediment and sand. It was absolutely disgusting on how unclean it was. Actually, Graypaw didn't like much of the territory of DustClan at all; everything was dry, rocky and brown except for the one waterfall that fell over the steepest cliff of the Eagle's eye Canyon. This was called "Fresh Waterfall" and seemed to be where she spent most of her time, wishing there was more colour and clarity in her rocky canyon of a home. And worst of all was knowing that lots of the cats got to go to Gatherings out at FourTrees. Even Falconpaw had already gone twice!

And what confused Graypaw the most was that no one in her whole entire clan was gray coated like her. None at all! They all consisted of the same browns, tans, gingers and such. Even her mother was the normal brown tabby colour shade. But she loved her colour. As she approached the waterfall, she looked at her reflection in the clear water. She reminded herself of water itself; well maybe not this water, but the waters in the stories of rippling waves and beautiful grays and blues that she had never even seen before. But she felt it; she could feel the ocean in herself every time she looked in the clear pond below the waterfall.

Above she could see a hawk circling its nest on a high cliff. _Always making your nests in the hardest places to reach, aren't you Windy? _The bird above her was not the average hawk. It was one that Graypaw had recognized as Windy and she could never manage to catch her. No matter where this hawk chose as a nesting place, it was always in one of those places that were impossible for any cat to reach. But one day she knew she would find away to catch her. This was one goal she had set, and knew it would be fulfilled someday. Once she catches Windy, even Firemask can't say "no" to letting her go to the Gathering.

But she knew today wasn't the day, to catch this mighty bird. Nearby she caught the scent of an eagle, and followed the trail up some rocky slopes. Once it was spotted, she began to hide herself behind the rocks, watching closely as it preened through its feathers. And at the perfect moment she sprang out at the bird and took it out with nasty bite to the neck. This bird was bigger than her, but was a simple catch. Proudly, she started to rip away at the feathers, and bite into the skin. After eating a big chunk out of the side, Graypaw started for camp.

"Look! I caught this humungous fish!" Falconpaw bragged to Fernpaw and Graypaw. His eyes were happy and excited towards Fernpaw, but Graypaw could notice that when his eyes turned to her, it seemed that it was more of a "I'm way better than you" thing. But Graypaw knew that this fish was no match to the eagle she had caught today and shared with Fernpaw.

"That's great Falconpaw!" Fernpaw mewed cheerfully. Being the oldest apprentice she was due for her warriors ceremony soon, and well deserved it. She had her training delayed when her old mentor, Jayfeather, past away in a battle against Streamclan. It had taken many days for her to be appointed her new mentor, Shadewing, because the clan was busy rebuilding the damaged camp from the fight.

"Ahahah… yeahh. Great Job…" Graypaw said, annoyed that Fernpaw couldn't see how much Falconpaw was in love with her.

"And Whitestar said I could go to the Gathering tonight. I asked if you could go to Fernpaw, and she said yes! But sorry Graypaw, you can't come." his eyes beamed at the beautiful ginger she-cat. But Fernpaw, didn't have the same happy reaction. She turned to Graypaw with caring and heart-filled eyes. Fernpaw knew how much Graypaw had wanted to go to a Gathering and see the fresh life out of the canyons.

But Graypaw just dashed off into the apprentice den, mad with both Fernpaw and Falconpaw for getting to go to the Gathering. Nothing seemed fair! _Why can't Firemask just let me go? _She knew it was his fault. If it weren't for Firemask she would be getting her ceremony soon after Fernpaw's. One day she would show her skills and how she was way better than that stupid deputy.


End file.
